Epilating appliances of this or a similar type are known, for example, from the prior publications US 4 575 902 A, US 4 960 422 A or US 5 084 055 A, which are included in the disclosure content of the present application by express reference thereto. Two types of hair removal must be distinguished, namely the removal of hairs on the skin surface (depilation) and the removal of hairs by the roots (epilation). Motor-powered epilating appliances operate on the principle of gripping and clamping the hairs to be removed and extracting them from the skin by the roots by means of pincerlike clamping members opening and closing at periodic intervals. Extraction is accomplished by the pincerlike clamping members being moved rapidly away from the skin after gripping the hair or hairs. This movement of the clamping members away from the skin may be accomplished, for example, in that the clamping members are part of a rotary cylinder, being periodically moved towards and away from each other as the cylinder rotates.
It is a general problem in appliances of the type initially referred to to increase the efficiency while reducing the sensation of pain experienced by the user during hair removal.